Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Georgia Force defeated the visiting Cleveland Gladiators 50-41 in the lone Sunday Arena Football League playoff contest. Quarterback Darnell Kennedy threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another one in the Georgia victory.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

In the lone Saturday Canadian Football League contest, quarterback Henry Burris completed 24 of 36 passes for 255 yards, while running 47 yards on five carries for a touchdown, while kicker Rene Paredes converted four of five field goal attempts as the Calgary Stampeders (3-2) defeated the sagging Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-4) 22-18 on the road.

The opening round of the Arena Football League playoffs got under way on Friday as three of the four conference semifinal games took place.

National Conference:

At Phoenix, Arizona:

The Arizona Rattlers dominated the defending champions Spokane Shock 62-33 at home. Nick Davila completed 15 of 24 passes for 167 yards and four touchdowns for the rattlers.

At Chicago:

The Chicago Rush rush nosed out the visiting Dallas Vigilantes 54-51 as Derek Lee caught the game-winning touchdown pass against his former team with 3:04 remaining. The Rush stopped a late Dallas drive on fourth-and-goal with less than one minute remaining.

American Conference:

At Jacksonville, Florida:

Quarterback Aaron Garcia threw only 19 passes, but completed 15 of them, four for touchdowns as the Jacksonville Sharks downed the visiting Orlando Predators 63-48.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

From Paramount Pictures in 1961, we bring you "Alvin's Solo Flight," an entry in Paramount's Noveltoons series, featuring Little Lulu. This cartoon, with animation by Nick Tafuri and Isadore Klein, sceincs by Robert Little, and music by Winston Sharples, this cartoon, made in New York City by Paramount Cartoon Studios, was produced and directed by Seymour Kneitel. Listed as co-producers on the credits were Marjorie Henderson Buell who created Little Lulu and William C. Erskine, who was Marge's licensing agent for Little Lulu. For five years (1943-48), Marge's Little Lulu was a successful series for then-Famous Studios before it was dropped in favor of the in-house-created Little Audrey. There ain't no chipmunks or David Sevilles in this one!

WARNING: Little Lulu is seen topless on the beach. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

In an integrated commercial from the close of an early 1960s telecast of The Andy Griffith Show, here's Andy, along with Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and Opie (Ronny Howard) hawking the virtues of Post's Oat Flakes.

From 1965, we bring you Swify and Shorty starring in "Inferior Decorator." In this one, after his house falls apart, Swifty then moves into---and takes over---Shorty's house.

Made in New York City by Paramount Cartoon Studios, with animation by William B. Pattengill, scenics by Robert Little, and music by Winston Sharples, this cartoon was produced, written, and directed by Howard Post.

Let's go back to 1936 for "Ghost Patrol" from Excelsior Pictures (distributed by Puritan Pictures). Tim McCoy stars as an undercover agent who's sent to investigate plane crashes caused by a mysterious ray gun.

Cypriot-born director Michael Cacoyannis, best remembered for having piloted the 1964 classic motion picture "Zorba the Greek," which starred Anthony Quinn in the title role, passed away on Monday in an Athens hospital from complications stemming from a heart attack at age 89.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

With Weston Dressler and Wes Cates scoring touchdowns on Sunday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-3) racked up their first win of the Canadian Football League season, 27-24 on the road over the previously unbeaten Montreal Alouettes (3-1).

Bobby Sippio caught 14 passes for 166 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday as the Orlando Predators (11-7) defeated the visiting New Orleans VooDoo (3-15) in the Arena Football League regular-season finale for both teams.

With the end of the regular season, the AFL's playoff matchups are set.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Time now for the fifteenth and final chapter of Riders of Death Valley our 1941 Universal Pictures serial, starring Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo, Buck Jones, Charles Bickford, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Lon Chaney, Jr., Noah Beery, Jr., and Jean Brooks. With screenplay by Sherman Lowe, George Plympton, Basil Dickey and Jack Connell, photography by Jerome Ash and William Sickner (both A.S.C. members), musical direction by Charles Previn as well as music and lyrics for the song "Ride Along" by Milton Rosen and Everett Carter, this serial was produced by Henry MacRae and directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor.

Let's go back for a 1943 Popeye cartoon entitled "Too Weak To Work." In this one, Bluto loafs and fakes a serious illness so that he can get out of work and go to the hospital. Our spinach-chompin' hero discovers his pal's scam and does something about it.

This black-and-white cartoon from Famous Studios, with animation by Jim Tyer and Abner Kneitel and story by Joe Stultz, was directed by Isidore Sparber.

Time to Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye as we go back to 1937 for "Dreamy Eyes." The Three Barons (consisting at the time of Jimmy Brown, Charlie Wilson, and Tommy Ryan), later to be known as the Three Kaydets, handle the vocal on this Vocalion recording.

From 1967, here are Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales starring in "The Music Mice-Tro." In this one, Daffy goes on vacation, only to see it turned into hell on earth, thanks to Speedy and his band. This cartoon, part of Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies series, was actually farmed out to Herb Klein's Format Films, with story by Don Sheppard and Cal Howard, animation by Bob Bransford, Ed Friedman, and Virgil Ross, music by William Lava, and voice characterizations by the legendary Mel Blanc, was directed by Rudy Larriva. This cartoon was made as Warner Brothers were getting set to revive their in-house cartoon studio.

Here is a cartoon take on fairy tales with "Foney Fables," from 1942, as part of Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies series, produced by Leon Schlesinger. This cartoon with story by Michael Maltese, animation by Richard Bickenbach, and music by Carl W. Stalling, was directed by Friz Freleng.

Monday, July 18, 2011

From Universal-International Pictures in 1951, it's time for "The Fat Man," starring J. Scott Smart in the title role (which he played for five years on ABC Radio from 1946 to 1951). The film also stars Julie London, Rock Hudson, Clinton Sundberg, and Jayne Meadows, along with the legendary clown, Emmett Kelly. With screenplay by Harry Essex and Leonard Lee (from whose story this was based), this picture was produced by Aubrey Schenck and directed by William Castle.

From Monogram Pictures in 1948, here's a Charlie Chan movie entitled "The Golden Eye." This picture stars Roland Winters as Earl Derr Biggers' legendary detective, along with Mantan Moreland and Victor Sen Young. With original screenplay by W. Scott Darling, this movie was produced by James S. Burkett and directed by William Beaudine.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

In Saturday Arena Football League action, quarterback Todd Hammel threw for 316 yards and five touchdowns as the Utah Blaze (8-9) outscored the New Orleans VooDoo (3-14) 21-3 in the fourth quarter and came from behind to win 62-58.

In Saturday Canadian Football League action, quarterback Kevin Glenn threw three touchdown passes as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-2) picked up their first win of the season, a 33-3 fanny kicking of the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-3).

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, and game Most Valued Player Prince Fielder's three-run homer in the fourth inning helped pace the National League to a 5-1 win Tuesday night over the American League in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This win marked the first two-game winning streak for the Senior Circuit since a three-game winning streak from 1994-96. The victory means the National League champions will get home field advantage in this year's World Series.

Sherwood Schwartz, the writer-creator of two of television's most iconic sitcoms, Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, passed away on Tuesday morning at age 94 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for an intestinal infection and underwent several operations.

Here's a 1936 movie. Produced by Excelsior Productions and released by Puritan Pictures, we bring you Tim McCoy starring in "Aces and Eights." Tim's joined in the cast by Luana Walters, Rex Lease, Wheeler Oakland, Frank Glendon, Charles Stevens, Earl Hodgins, Jimmy Aubrey, and Joseph Girard. With original story and continuity by Arthur Durlam, this flick was produced by Sigmund Neufeld and Leslie Simmonds and directed by Sam Newfield.

Time for a 1937 movie from Republic Pictures, "Git Along Little Dogies." This film stars Gene Autry with Smiley Burnette and The Maple City Four, along with Judith Allen, Weldon Heyburn, and William Farnum. With original screen play by Dorrell and Stuart McGowan and photography by Gus Peterson, this motion picture was produced by Armand Schaefer and directed by Joseph Kane. Yes, Gene's horse Champion's in this one, too!

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo threw for five touchdowns to increase his Canadian Football League-career total to 394, tying Damon Allen's CFL record on Saturday as the Montreal Alouettes (2-0) ruined the Saskatchewan Roughriders' (0-2) home opener with a 39-25 win in a battle of the entrants in the last two Grey Cup title games.

Friday, July 08, 2011

The Milwaukee Mustangs (5-11) , helped along by three fumble recoveries and an interception, all of which led to scores, as they defeated the New Orleans VooDoo (3-13) 76-55 on the road in Friday Arena Football League action. The VooDoo lost all nine home games this season. Fullback-defensive lineman Justin Lawrence ran for four touchdowns for the Mustangs.

John Mackey, the Baltimore Colts' Hall of Fame Tight End who helped define the modern version of the position as an offensive weapon, and who was also president of the NFL's Players Association following the NFL-AFL merger, passed away on Wednesday at age 69 from frontotemporal dementia.

Mr. Mackey was the second pure tight end elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

A five-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro selection, Big John caught 331 passes for 5, 236 yards and 38 touchdowns in a ten-year career, nine of them with the Colts (he finished his career with the San Diego Chargers in 1972).

In his later years, John suffered from frontotemporal demenia and be believed that it may have been caused by all that contact associated with playing football. His wife Sylvia, last year, pledged to donate John's brain to a Boston University School of Medicine study of brain damage in athletes upon his passing.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

From 1946, here's Popeye starring in "Peep In the Deep" a Famous Studios production released by Paramount Pictures. In this New York-produced film, Popeye and Olive Oyl are in search of a sunken treasure------so, of course is Bluto! With animation by Jim Tyer and William Henning and story by Bill Turner and Felix the Cat creator Otto Messner, this cartoon was directed by Max Fleischer's son-in-law, Seymour Kneitel.Enjoy, maties!

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Quarterback Ricky Ray completed 21 of 27 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday as the Edmonton Eskimos, who scored on five consecutive first-half possessions, knocked off the Saskatchewan Roughriders 42-28 on the road in the Canadian Football League regular-season opener for both teams.

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Time for one of the most notorious of Columbia's Screen Gems "Phantasy" catoons, "Mass Mouse Meeting." In this one, the mouse selected to tie a bell-encrusted collar around the neck of the housecat spends roughly three-and-a-half minute talking to the feline about his new collar! With story by Dun Roman, animation by Chic Otterstrom, and music by Paul Worth, this 1943 cartoon was produced by Dave Fleischer and directed by Alec Geiss.

From Republic Pictures in 1948, and in Trucolor, Here are Roy Rogers and Trigger starring in "Under California Skies." In this one, Rancher Roy and his boys track down a gang who have stolen Trigger and are holding him for ranson. With Jane Frazee and Andy Devine. Roy gets musical help from his onetime employers, Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers. With screenplay by Sloan Nibley and Paul Gangelin, based on the latter's original story, photography by Jack Marta, and with Edward J. White as associate producer, this picture was directed by William Witney.

Friday, July 01, 2011

In their first game under interim head coach Jon Norris (he moved from the front office to replace Derek Stingley, who was fired this past Sunday), the New Orleans VooDoo (3-12) ended a six-game losing streak Friday night with a 64-33 road domination of the Tampa Bay Storm (6-9) in Arena Football League play. Quarterback D. Bryant completed 24 of 43 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns, while also running one yard in the fourth quarter for another score to lead the VooDoo offense.